Boot and ornament combination

ABSTRACT

The combination of a boot and an elongate decorative element extending from free end of the boot on the outside side of the boot, downwardly across the front of the upper portion of the boot, and upwardly to the pull tab on the inside side of the boot. The boot may be a cowboy boot of the type having pull tabs on the inside side and the outside side of the boot, as well as a cowboy boot or urban style boot without pull tabs.

BACKGROUND

This section provides background information related to the presentdisclosure which is not necessarily prior art.

This invention relates to decorations for footwear and in particular toa boot and ornament combination.

A wide variety of decorations have been made to enhance the appearanceof shoes. Most of these decorations are permanently attached to theshoe, see for example, U.S. Design Pat. Nos. D296,382, D521,214,D532,596, D540,533, D571,095, D580,648, and D591,939. Some of thesedecorations are removable and/or replaceable, see for example, U.S.Design Pat. Nos. D330,342, D538,029, D542,020, D81,404, D81,406, andU.S. Pat. No. 1,855,345. While most of the focus appears to have beenconventional shoes, U.S. Pat. No. D330,342, entitled Boot Bracelet,discloses an ornament for boots. However, this ornament is intended tobe worn low on the boot, around the ankle, where it is difficult to see,and thus, does not provide much visual impact.

SUMMARY

This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not acomprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.

A first preferred embodiment of the present invention, provides acombination of a cowboy-style boot having pull tabs, extending from thetop edge of the boot upper on the inside side and outside side of theboot, and an elongate decorative element extending from the pull tab onthe outside side of the boot, downwardly across the front of the bootupper, and upwardly to the pull tab on the inside side of the boot. Eachend of the elongate decorative element preferably has a fastenerthereon, so that one end of the elongate decorative element can besecured to the pull tab on each side of the boot. In one alternateembodiment, a mounting strand having an eyelet, jump ring or bail ateach end is looped through the pull tab, and engaged by the fastener onthe end of the elongate decorative element. In another alternateembodiment, the end portion of the elongate decorative element is loopedthrough the pull tab, and engaged to itself with the fastener.

In an alternate embodiment, the boot is of the type in which the topedge of the boot upper dips downwardly at the front, and the elongatedecorative element extends across the front of the boot upper, below thebottom edge of the dip.

A second preferred embodiment of the present invention, provides acombination of a boot having a foot-receiving portion and a generallytubular upper, extending upwardly from the foot receiving portion, andan elongate decorative element extending from the top edge of the upperon the outside side of the boot, extending downwardly across the frontof the upper, and upwardly to the top edge of the upper on the insideside of the boot. Each end of the elongate decorative element preferablyhas a fastener thereon, so that an end of the elongate decorativeelement can be secured/fastened to the inside and outside sides of theboot, preferably at the top edge.

Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the descriptionprovided herein. The description and specific examples in this summaryare intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended tolimit the scope of the present disclosure.

DRAWINGS

The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only ofselected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are notintended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a boot and ornament combination of afirst preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an inside side elevation view of the boot and ornamentcombination of the first embodiment;

FIG. 3 is an outside side elevation view of the boot and ornamentcombination of the first embodiment;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial-front elevation view of the boot andornament combination of the first embodiment;

FIG. 5A is an enlarged partial-side elevation view of the boot andornament combination of the first embodiment, showing a first alternatemethod of securing the ends of the elongate decorative element to thepull tabs on the boot;

FIG. 5B is an enlarged partial-side elevation view of the boot andornament combination of the first embodiment, showing a second alternatemethod of securing the ends of the elongate decorative element to thepull tabs on the boot;

FIG. 6 is a front elevation view of a boot and ornament combination of asecond preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is an inside side elevation view of the boot and ornamentcombination of the second embodiment;

FIG. 8 is an outside side elevation view of the boot and ornamentcombination of the second embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a front elevation view of an alternative arrangement of theboot and ornament combination of the second embodiment;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged partial-side elevation of the boot and ornamentcombination of the second embodiment, showing one method of securing theends of the elongate decorative element to the sides of a boot;

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of the elongate decorative element andits mounting accessories;

FIG. 12 is side elevation of an alternate arrangement of the boot andornament combination according to the second embodiment.

Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference tothe accompanying drawings.

A first preferred embodiment of a combination of a cowboy-style boot andornament according to the principles of this invention, is indicatedgenerally as 20 in FIGS. 1-3, and includes a cowboy-style boot 22 havinga foot-receiving portion 24, and a generally tubular upper 26 extendinggenerally upwardly from the foot-receiving portion 24. The boot 22 haspull tabs 28, 30 extending from the top edge 32 of the tubular upper 26on the inside side (FIG. 3) and outside side (FIG. 2) of the boot.Otherwise, the boot 22 may be of any design, with decorative panels andstitching, stylized toe portions and heels. The foot-receiving portion24 and the tubular upper 26 can be formed of separate pieces and joinedtogether (as shown in FIGS. 1-3), or they can be formed by portions ofthe same pieces. In some embodiments (as shown in FIGS. 1-3), the topedge 32 of the tubular upper section 26 of the boot 22 can have a dip 34at the front (and optionally the back as well).

As best shown FIG. 1, an elongate decorative element 40 extends from thepull tab 30 on the outside side of the boot 22, downwardly across thefront of the tubular upper 26, and upwardly to the pull tab 28 on theinside side of the boot. The decorative element preferably remains belowthe top edge 32 of the tubular upper 26, even where the top edge dips(as at 34 in FIG. 1). Each end of the elongate decorative element 40preferably has a fastener 42 thereon, so that each end of the elongatedecorative element can be secured to the pull tab on one side of theboot. As shown in FIG. 5A, a mounting strand 46 having eyelets, jumprings, or bails (“eyelets”) 48, 50 on each end is looped through one ofthe pull tabs 28, 30, and the fastener 42 engaged to the eyelets 48 and50. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 5B, the end portion of the elongatemounting element can be looped through one of the pull tabs 28, 30 andsecured to itself with the fastener 42. Alternatively, a clip or otherfastener could be provided on each end to engage one of the pull tabs.

The elongate decorative element 40 includes at least one strand 44 thatextends across the front of the boot, and as shown in FIGS. 1-3,comprises two such strands. Of course there could be more than twostrands 44, if desired. These strands 44 can be made of single ortwisted multiple filaments, a single or twisted multiple wires, a fineor coarse chain, or as shown in FIGS. 1-3 a plurality of decorativelinks, and can be made of metal, fiber, leather, or other suitablematerials. In addition to the strands 44, the elongate decorativeelement can comprise additional decorative elements such as beads,crystals, pearls, gemstones, chains, charms, pendants, bangles, andloops, of a wide variety of colors, shapes, sizes, and weights. Thedecorative elements can be made of metal, glass, natural stone, leather,fiber, plastic, or other suitable material.

The elongate decorative element 40 extends primarily across the front ofthe boot 22, providing the maximum visual impact. The elongatedecorative element remains below the top edge 32 of the tubular upper26, and above the top edge of the foot-receiving portion 24 of the boot,so that the elongate decorative element 40 is displayed on a backdrop ofthe boot, and so that it does not interfere with functioning of the bootor get tangled and damaged, or cause the wearer to stumble. In thispreferred embodiment, at the front of the boot the elongate decorativeelement 40 preferably extends between about 0.5 inches below the topedge 32 of the tubular upper, and about 9 inches below the top edge ofthe boot, and more preferably between about 1 inch and about 6 inchesfrom the top edge of the boot.

A second preferred embodiment of a combination of a boot and ornamentaccording to the principles of this invention, is indicated generally as60 in FIGS. 6-8, and includes an urban-style boot 62 having afoot-receiving portion 64, and a generally tubular upper 66 extendinggenerally upwardly from the foot-receiving portion 64. The top edge ofthe boot upper can be the free end 68 of the boot (FIGS. 6-8), or thefree end 68 of the tubular upper can be turned back on itself, so thatthe free end 68 is below the folded tope edge of the boot (FIG. 9).Otherwise, the boot 62 may be of any design, with decorative panels andstitching, stylized toe portions, and heels. The foot-receiving portion64 and the tubular upper 66 can be formed of separate pieces and joinedtogether (as shown in FIGS. 6-8), or they can be formed by portions ofthe same pieces.

As best shown in FIGS. 6-8, an elongate decorative element 40 extendsfrom the free end 68 of the boot 62 on the outside side of the boot 62,downwardly across the front of the boot upper, and upwardly to theinside side of the boot 62. The decorative element 40 preferably remainsbelow the top edge of the tubular upper 66. Each end of the elongatedecorative element 40 preferably has a fastener 42 thereon, to securethe elongate decorative element to the sides of the boot. As shown inFIG. 10, a clip 72 can be engaged to the boot, and the fastener 42 canengage an eyelet 74, depending from the clip to secure the elongatedecorative element to the boot. Alternative, the fastener 42 could beadapted to directly engage the boot. The fastener can be any type offastener, including a clasp with spring-loaded jaws, a spring clip, anover-center clasp, or the like, provided that it does not damage theboot 62.

The elongate decorative element 40 includes at least one strand 44 thatextends across the front of the boot, and as shown in FIGS. 6-8,comprises three such strands. Of course there could be more than twostrands 44, if desired. These strands 44 can be made of single ortwisted multiple filaments, a single or twisted multiple wires, a fineor coarse chain, or as shown in FIGS. 1-3 a plurality of decorativelinks, and can be made of metal, fiber, leather, or other suitablematerials. In addition to the strands 44, the elongate decorativeelement can comprise additional decorative elements such as beads,crystals, pearls, gemstones, chains, charms, pendants, bangles, andloops, of a wide variety of colors, shapes, sizes, and weights. Thedecorative elements can be made of metal, glass, natural stone, leather,fiber, plastic, or other suitable material.

The elongate decorative element 40 extends primarily across the front ofthe boot 60, providing the maximum visual impact. The elongatedecorative element remains below the free end 68 of the boot upper, andabove the top edge of the foot-receiving portion of the boot, so thatthe elongate decorative element 40 is displayed on a backdrop of theboot, and so that it does not interfere with functioning of the boot orget tangled and damaged, or cause the wearer to stumble. In thispreferred embodiment, at the front of the boot the elongate decorativeelement 40 preferably extends between about 0.5 inches below the freeend 68 of the tubular upper, and about 9 inches below the top edge ofthe boot, and more preferably between about 1 inch and about 6 inchesfrom the top edge of the boot.

As shown in FIG. 10, the boot 62 may be of the style where the free end68 can be folded back on itself, so that it is actually below theresulting folded top edge of the boot. In this case, the clips 72 or thefasteners 42, can engage the folded top edge of the boot 62 or it canengage the exposed inner surface of the tubular upper.

The elongate decorative element 40 extends primarily across the front ofthe boot 62, providing the maximum visual impact. The elongatedecorative element remains below the free end 68 of the tubular upper,and above the top edge of the foot-receiving portion of the boot, sothat the elongate decorative element 40 is displayed on a backdrop ofthe boot, and so that it does not interfere with functioning of the bootor get tangled and damaged or cause the wearer to stumble. In thispreferred embodiment, at the front of the boot, the elongate decorativeelement 40 preferably extends between about 0.5 inches below the end 68of the tubular upper, and about 9 inches below the top edge of the boot,and more preferably between about 1 inch and about 6 inches from the topedge of the boot.

As shown in FIG. 11, the elongate decorative element 40 can be providedas a kit, comprising an elongate decorative element 40 and two mountingstrands 48 for each boot, and optionally two clips 72, so that theelongate decorative element can be mounted on cowboy-style boots or onurban-style boots.

An alternate arrangement of the boot and ornament combination of thesecond embodiment is shown in FIG. 12, where an ornament is shown on acowboy-style boot without the conventional pull tabs.

The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided forpurposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to beexhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or featuresof a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particularembodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be usedin a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described.The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to beregarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modificationsare intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. In combination with a boot of the type having afoot-receiving portion, and a generally tubular upper portion extendingtherefrom with pull tabs projecting from the top edge of the upperportion on the inside side and the outside side of the boot, an elongatedecorative element extending from the pull tab on the outside side ofthe boot, downwardly across the front of the upper portion of the boot,and upwardly to the pull tab on the inside side of the boot.
 2. Thecombination according to claim 1 wherein the top edge of the upperportion has a dip at the front of the boot, and wherein the elongatedecorative element extends across the front of the boot, below the dip.3. The combination according to claim 1 wherein each end of the elongatedecorative element has a fastener for engaging one of the pull tabs onthe boot upper.
 4. The combination according to claim 1 wherein each endof the elongate decorative element has a fastener, and furthercomprising a mounting strand, having an eyelet at each end, loopedthrough each of the pull tabs on the boot, the fastener on each the endof the elongate decorative elements engaging the eyelets of one of themounting strands.
 5. The combination according to claim 1 wherein eachend of the decorative chain has a faster thereon, so that the portion ofthe elongate decorative element adjacent the end can be looped through apull tab, and engaged to itself with the fastener.
 6. The combinationaccording to claim 1 wherein the elongate decorative element is at leastabout 0.5 inches below the top edge at the front of the boot.
 7. Thecombination according to claim 6 wherein the lowest portion of theelongate decorative element is no more than about nine inches below thetop edge at the front of the boot.
 8. The combination according to claim7 wherein the lowest portion of the elongate decorative element is nomore than about six inches below the top edge of the front of the boot.9. The combination according to claim 6 wherein the lowest portion ofthe elongate decorative element is above the foot-receiving portion ofthe boot.
 10. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the elongatedecorative element comprises at least one strand.
 11. The combinationaccording to claim 10 wherein the elongate decorative element comprisesa plurality of strands.
 12. The combination according to claim 1 furthercomprising a fastener on each end of the elongate decorative element,and a clip engaging the top edge of the boot on the inside side and theoutside side, each clip having an eyelet engaged by the fastener on oneend of the elongate decorative element.
 13. The combination according toclaim 1 further comprising a fastener on each end of the elongatedecorative element for engaging the top edge of the boot at the outsideside of the boot, and the inside side of the boot.
 14. In combinationwith a boot of the type having a foot receiving portion and a generallytubular upper extending upwardly from the foot receiving portion,elongate decorative element extending from the top edge of the upper onthe outside side of the boot, extending downwardly across the front ofthe upper, and upwardly to the inside side of the boot.
 15. Thecombination according to claim 14 further comprising a fastener on eachend of the elongate decorative element for engaging the top edge of theboot at the outside side of the boot, and the inside side of the boot.16. The combination according to claim 14 wherein the elongatedecorative element is at least about 0.5 inches below the top edge atthe front of the boot.
 17. The combination according to claim 16 whereinthe lowest portion of the elongate decorative element is no more thanabout nine inches below the top edge at the front of the boot.
 18. Thecombination according to claim 17 wherein the lowest portion of theelongate decorative element is no more than about six inches below thetop edge of the front of the boot.
 19. The combination according toclaim 14 wherein the lowest portion of the elongate decorative elementis above the foot-receiving portion of the boot.
 20. The combinationaccording to claim 14 wherein the elongate decorative element comprisesat least one strand.
 21. The combination according to claim 20 whereinthe elongate decorative element comprises a plurality of strands.